The Voice finalist has ties to Greater Houston

Y.C. OROZCO

Published 9:51 am, Saturday, December 14, 2013

Before the three finalists for Season 5 of The Voice were announced Tuesday night, a collective drum roll sounded for dozens of excited cousins, uncles, aunts and one very nervous and proud grandmother in Friendswood.

“Oh my goodness - for weeks and weeks and weeks we’ve been screaming all the time,” said Friendswood resident, Kenarr Matoesian.

Team Adam’s Will Champlin spent his summers with his grandmother in Friendswood and now he’s one of three finalists on a national TV competition.

His family in the Bay Area will be all eyes-glued and fingers-crossed on Monday night for the finale as Champlin competes for the win.

The show began with nearly 50 vocalists, and Champlin has persevered team switches and near-eliminations to face fellow finalists Tessanne Chin and Jacquie Lee.

“It’s over the top exciting for everybody,” said his aunt, Michele Taylor. “You’re just so proud and happy for them and you want them to do great. The competition is so amazing - they’re all so talented and you just hold your breath and hope they do well. Will has always just hit it right on the mark and has just done great, and it seems like he’s getting better and more confident and that’s fun to watch.”

Throughout the competition, Champlin, who grew up in LA and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, has endured a roller coaster of victories, setbacks and team switches to become an audience favorite.

Taylor believes those setbacks only fueled not only his determination, but the support from viewers.

“That tells a lot, because he was in it with the best of them, and he persevered and made it through,” she said. “He’s very determined.”

His family was the last to be surprised by that resilience.

“The thing with Will is that he’s an incredible musician: he writes music, he arranges and records, he plays piano, bass, drums guitar - he can play anything,” said his aunt. “He learned his craft and his voice is amazing.”

Champlin comes from a pedigreed musical pool: his father was a singer with the band, Chicago, for 30 years, and his mother, Tamara Matoesian Champlin, who attended Friendswood High School in the 70's and 80's, was a successful backup singer in Houston and in Los Angeles.

“This kid comes along and he’s a combination of both of them,” Taylor said.

With the time difference in California and Texas two hours apart, Champlin’s mother was often on the phone with her sister, getting a play-by-play.

“I was watching live, and she was like, ‘You have to stay on the phone with me, I can’t take this!’ - it was fun,” Taylor said, laughing. “It’s been a really exciting thing. The nerves were earlier on, but when millions of people have already seen you on TV, it’s a whole different level. This time it will be less nerve-wracking because he’s just come so far, and that’s an achievement all itself, for his career and his life.

To his family, he’s already won.

“He’ll be a musician no matter what happens Monday,” said Taylor.

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Champlin’s grandmother will be naturally nervous on Monday night, but never doubtful.

“I asked him once if he could sing, and he said, ‘Grandma I sing awesome’ - he was eleven years old!” she said, laughing at the memory.